Liv Arnesen and Ann Bancroft are on their way to become first women to cross Arctic Ocean to the North Pole

In February 2001, these two polar explorers and former schoolteachers, Liv Arnesen (51, Oslo, Norway) and Ann Bancroft (49, Scandia, Minn.), caught attention from millions of people worldwide as they fulfilled their childhood dream and became the first women to ski across Antarctica.

On 12 March this year, the women began their next attempt to make history from Cape Arktichesky, Russia: a 1,240-mile (1,996-km), 100-day ski, sail and swim crossing of the Arctic Ocean.

The explorers begun their expedition almost two and a half weeks later than anticipated due to unexpected delays related to travel clearance in this remote region in Russia. At the moment they have problems with getting supplies of fuel from Russians for heating food.

If successful,  Liv Arnesen and Ann Bancroft will also become the first known women to complete the crossing. They expect to cross the geographic North Pole in April and end at Ward Hunt Island, Canada in early June.

Photo. Liv and Ann`s camp in the Arctic - a rest on theirs journey to the top of the world. © YourExpedition.com - Bancroft Arnesen Arctic Expedition Photo Archive: www.yourexpedition.com

Since the women are crossing the Arctic Ocean during the "spring" season, they only experience few hours of sunlight each day. They also have to be aware of unstable ice, stand temperatures that can drop down to -50 degrees Fahrenheit (-46 degrees Celsius), winds up to 50 miles per hour (80 km) and blizzards.

Accordig to their last report, the ice around them is very active and keeps them on edge. The good news is that they continued to drift north as they anxiously await their resupply, coming Thursday 31 March. This expedition is not without risk, and they need to take the strongest precautions.

Stein Morten Lund, 30 March 2005

Additional Information
Join us as we explore the Arctic based on these two very courageous women`s adventures. More news about the ongoing expedition will be published on our website.

For more information, look at the following websites:
www.bancroftarnesenexplore.com
www.yourexpedition.com
www.liv-arnesen.no

Information in Norwegian:
Liv Arnesen og Ann Bancrofts Nordpol-ekspedisjon 2005: Disse spreke og tøffe damene går nå på ski med pulker på slep fra Cape Arktichesky på Severnaya Semja i Russland til Ward Hunt Island i Canada. En distanse på 2000 km - i luftlinje. En distanse på 1000 km for ekspedisjonen som går under navnet Explore Artic Ocean.